Armillary sphere and globes

Armillary spheres have been made since ancient times – the idea was that you are at the centre and can see how the celestial bodies move in relation to you. The beautiful armillary sphere is an astronomical instrument with a number of rotating rings (armilli) equipped with degree scales. The rings can be adjusted to represent specific planes, such as the equator or the ecliptic.

Find the sea and land you are looking for on the antique-look globe in beige or the beautiful globe with light blue sea, both of which have political maps. Or search for the area on the globe with dark blue sea, which has a vegetation geography map. The beautiful globes have a brass meridian rod and base on a wooden stand.

A globe is a map of the world placed on a sphere. A globe showing the geography of the Earth is thus a scale model of our planet. Globes are also made of the Moon and other planets, as well as ‘star globes’ that show the positions of stars and other distant celestial bodies on the celestial sphere.

Some globes have elevations on the surface to illustrate topographical differences. However, these differences should be taken with a grain of salt, as the elevations are disproportionately large in relation to the rest of the globe and thus give a false impression of the heights of the mountains.

Globes in 3-D or relief technique are designed to allow the user to easily recognise the topography of the Earth and, where applicable, the seabed. Maps and globes in 3D often spark renewed interest in the viewer, partly because materials produced in 3D are not often seen, and partly because one is tempted to use these materials tactically, i.e. to incorporate the sense of touch into learning. Critics of relief maps and globes point out that heights/depths are exaggerated. This is correct, but exaggeration, as the technique is also called, is a necessary prerequisite for producing relief maps at all. Reputable map and globe manufacturers therefore indicate the degree of exaggeration in their materials.

A selection of beautiful globes in various sizes and colours can be found at Nauticum.